Little did they know, their straddling of culture helped inform these profound performances \u2014 and the ease with which they get along with each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
British actor Agyeman was best known for the BBC series \u201cDoctor Who,\u201d \u201cLaw & Order: UK,\u201d and Netflix\u2019s \u201cSense8\u201d before her current role on \u201cNew Amsterdam.\u201d Her parents are Iranian and Ghanian, and she grew up in north London in a tightly knit family with two siblings and an ultra-supportive mother. \u201cMy mum always said, \u2018As long as you have a passion for something, I\u2019ll support you. The minute you start wavering, then we\u2019ll have to start having a conversation.\u2019\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Originally interested in the sciences, Agyeman also dabbled in athletics and music, ultimately graduating university in theater. \u201cI loved, loved, loved education, and arts wasn\u2019t something that was on my mind,\u201d she says, explaining that theatre \u201cjust happened\u201d when a teacher convinced her to take the lead in a play, rather than focus on her marine biology dissertation. Once she hit the stage, the acting bug took hold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Surprised by their mutual love of science, Agyeman and her costar Jocko Sims (who originally planned to become an actual doctor) share other similarities, as well. Their tight-knit, supportive families provide strong foundations, and they each tried acting on a whim and never turned back.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe differences begin in Sims\u2019s background as a DTCK. Born in Houston, Texas, U.S.A., he moved with his family to San Antonio, Texas, at age 6, and later, finished high school in Los Angeles. He returned to his roots attending university in Houston. \u201cI\u2019m excited to work at this time, in this period, where diversity is in the forefront,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s a good thing, and I\u2019m glad to be working to tell these amazing stories, these multicultural stories.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cI think what happens in the first five, maybe 10 years of your life, it shapes who you are. I\u2019m grateful for it because I don\u2019t think I could do my job as well if I came from a different background. I think it makes me appreciate my life so much more.\u201dJANET MONTGOMERY<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Sims, a producer and actor known for his roles in \u201cDreamgirls\u201d and \u201cDawn of the Planet of the Apes,\u201d as well as his guest appearances on \u201cCriminal Minds\u201d and \u201cMasters of Sex,\u201d previously worked on a show with no people of color in the writers\u2019 room. He \u201cfeels the difference\u201d having diverse writers in the room this go \u2018round. Both Agyeman and Sims agree this time, this place in the industry and in the world make multicultural storylines timely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The show itself leaves glimpses of hope peppered throughout its plotlines where there are sometimes seemingly hopeless situations. Show creators make sure \u201cthe light\u201d is apparent throughout \u2014 so viewers can remain optimistic no matter how bleak circumstances seem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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